The creation of a organization to review institutions that study human volunteers in biomedical research is discussed. The National Committee for Quality Assurance is expected to team up with the nation's principal accreditor of hospitals to create the organization. Many hospitals seek the accreditation of the hospital commission to satisfy federal requirements that make them eligible to receive medicare payments.
The accusations of sexual exploitation faced by J. Michael Bailey are discussed. Bailey has been accused by a transsexual woman of hypocritical deception in obtaining information about transsexuals for his research on the subject. Six other transsexual women have also filed similar complaints against Bailey accusing him of using them in his research without their consent. Experts say that Bailey, a psychologist has violated rules by entering into an outside relationship with his clients.
A new advisory committee has been appointed to advise the government on research involving human embryos. The panel, called the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Human Research Protection, will propose the changes in federal regulations to safeguard people volunteering for the research study. Mr. Moreno, panel member and bioethicist, says that the panel lacked member who specifically represents the interests of patients or research subjects. The views of other panel members are also presented.
Following an intense debate over science and ethics, US House of Representatives voted again in February 2003 to criminalize any effort to create human clones. The ban specifies a fine of atleast $1-million and a prison term of up to 10 years for anyone attempting to clone a human cell. Supporters of the complete ban argued that cloning for biomedical research is immoral because scientists would destroy human embryos to obtain stem cells for their studies.
A medical anthropologist is fighting legal efforts for field notes in medical case. Although the lawyers for defendants in the case withdrew their subpoena for the document, they have not ruled out the possibility of reinstating it. Professors who head the ethics and public-policy committees of the American Anthropological Association are drafting statements in support of the anthropologist.
Various aspects of the Institutes failed to heed federal regulations found by the National Institute of Health (NIH) are discussed. It was found that the some researcher had failed to obtain prior approval for their studies from the University's instutional review board. The Johns Hopkin University has draw scrutiny when one of its research subjects died. The analysis suggested that bioethicists should scrutinize the structural and competitive dynamics that warp an institution's capacity for making ethically sound decisions.
Governor Gray Davis of California signed two bills intended to cement his state's reputation as a haven for studies using human embryonic stem cells, research, that President Bush has sought, on the national level, to restrict. One of the two bills that Governor Davis, a democrat, signed last month establishes a state registry of embryos available for research and requires physicians at California fertility clinics to inform patients that they have the option of donating unused embryos for research purposes. The other measure requires the state's department of health services to devise guidelines for research on embryonic stem cells.
